Direction-indicator for vehicles.



E. B. LYNAM.

- nmacnon mmcnoa H'm VEHICLES) APPLICATION FILED lAN- I3. 191!- 1,259,644; Patented Mar. 19,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- E. LYNA'M.

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-13,191]- Patented Mar. 19,1918.

Z T E .E H 4 S T E E H S 2 EDW B. LYN PM EDWIN B. LYNAM, 0F LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 191$.

Application filed January 13, 1917. Serial No. 142,259.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN B. LYNAM, acitizen of the United States, residing at Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski and State of Arkansas, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Direction- Indicators for Vehicles, of which the following is a. specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved direetion indicator for vehicles, and has for its primary object to provide a serviceable and durable device of this character whereby the intentions of the operator of the vehicle, relative to the subsequent movements thereof, may be communicated to other 1110- torists and pedestrians.

It is another and more particular object of the invention to provide a plurality of signal carrying plates pivotally mounted at one of their ends and arranged upon one or both sides of the vehicle body or upon the windshield frame, means for selectively actuating said signal members to dispose the same in a visible position, and means ferretaining the signal member in such position.

This a further general object of my invention to providea direction indicator of the character stated, whereby confusion in the minds of motorists orpedestrians approaching a street crossing with regard to the direction of movement of the machine may be obviated, and the possibility of collision and injury thereto avoided.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrange in'ent of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is a side elevation of a motor vehicle equipped with my improved direction indicator;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view;

Fig.- 2 is a perspective view of one of the signal plates;

Fig. 5 is a detail pers 'iective view of the top plate of the casing.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5

designates a pair of angle plates which are secured upon one side wall or the vehicle body by. means of the screws or bolts indicated at 6. The vertical end portion of one angle plate is preferably slotted, as at 7, to receive said bolts, whereby the plates may be vertically adjusted. Upon the downwardly projecting flange 8 of the other angle plate, one end of the bottom wall 10 of a housing or casing 9 is securely bolted. The top plate 9 has its ends angularlv disposed and fixed to the side walls of the casing 9 and in these angular end portions of the plate 9, the ends of a rod or bolt 12 are mounted. The intermediate portion of.the plate 9 is provided with an upstanding flange 9 which limits the movement of the arms 14 in one direction. The signal plates, indicated at 13, are each fixed along one of their longitudinal edges to the metal arms 14: which project beyond one end of the respective plates. These arms are pivotally mounted upon the bolt 12, and between the arms tubular spacing washers or collars 15 are engaged upon said rod. Preferably, ten of the plates 13 are provided, said. plates bearing upon their opposite faces the same indicia. Upon the respective plates there is painted in white, and preferably on a black background, Bound E; Bound WP; Bound S; Bound NF; Bound S. E3; Bound S. Bound N. E; Bound N. -WY; ,Halt; and Going.

Various means may be provided for operatin these si nal plates. and in the '3 I) coinpanying drawings I have shown one such operating means which consists of a series of wires or cables 16 passing around pulleys or other suitable guides l'l' mounted. in the wall or" the vehicle body, and provided upon thei inner ends with rings or other suitable handles shown at 15. The other ends of these cables are connectedto the respective arms of the signal plates which 1.32 normally extend vertically in parallel relation to the wall of the vehicle body. Atone side of each'of the arms 14, a latch plate 19 is pivoted as at 20, upon the flange 8 of the plate 5. A. stop lug 21, fixed to the flange 8, limits the pivotal movement of these plates in one direction. The other end of each plate is provided with a book 22 which is adapted for engagement over the arm 14, whereby the signal plate 13 is held in a. horizontal position so that the indicia thereon will be clearly visible. It will be understood that the .latch plates 19 are sufiiciently resilient to permit the arms 14 to spring past the books 21, and when pressure of the arm on the hook is released, the hook will snap over the upper edge of this end the light rays will be which the free ends said arm. To the base wall of the casing 9, a strip of leather or other cushioning material, indicated at 23, is secured, against of the signal plates will strike when lowered to their normal positions. Thus, noise incident to the operation of the signal plates is eliminated.

In conjunction with the signal device, I preferably provide the illuminating means whereby the surfaces of the signal plates may be adequately illuminated at night. To I provide a bracket 28 fixed at one of its ends to the wall of the vehicle body adjacent to the direction indicator, and upon the other end of this bracket an angular metal bar 29 is secured, one arm of the bar projecting outwardly from the side of the vehicle. Upon said arm, one end of a bar 30 is pivotally mounted, as at 31. A pair of lamp brackets 32 are adjustably and removably mounted upon the bar 30, and a reflector indicated at 33 may also be detachably secured to said bar. The lamps and the reflector are properly positioned on the bar with respect to the signal plates 13 so that properly designated and directed upon the several signal plates to the best advantage. Upon the outer end of the angular arm 29, a hook 34 is fixed, which provides a seat for the bar 30 and limits its downward swinging movement to a horizontal position. A second angularly disposed hook 35 is also fixed to the arm 33 to support the bar 30 in a raised'posltion slightly past the perpendicular, when the illuminating lamps are not in use.

From the foregoing'description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and manner of operation ofv the invention will be clearly and fully understood. It will be seen that I have provided a device of relatively simple construction whereby the operator of the machine may acquaint other motorists or pedestrians of the exact direction of travel which he intends to pursue. Collisions between vehicles and injury to the operators or to pedestrians will thus be obviated. WVhile the device is primarily designed for use upon motor vehicles, it will be understood that the same can also be employed upon flying machines or other vehicles where such a device would be desirable. -In the fore going description and the accompanying drawings, I have described and illustrated the preferred construction and relative arrangement of the several elements employed.

It is, however, to be borne in mind that the direction indicator is susceptible of consld- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. 0.

erable modifications and changes in the form, proportions and construction of the several parts, and I, therefore, reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A direction indicator for motor vehicles including a bracket adapted to be mounted upon one side of the vehicle,- a casing fixed at'its upper end to the bracket, the

upper end of said casing being open, a plate disposed in spaced parallel relation to the open end of the casing, the ends of the plate being angularly bent and fixed to the opposed casing walls, a rod mounted in the end of said plate, a plurality of signal plates the supporting bracket-for engagement with the respective. arms to retain the signal plates in the latter position.

2. A direction indicator for motor vehicles including a supporting bracket adapted to be'mounted upon the vehicle wall, a casing fixed at one pending therefrom, a plate secured at its opposite ends to the side walls of the casing and extending over the upper end of the easing in spaced relation thereto, said plate having an upstanding flange, a rod mount ed at its ends in said plate, a plurality of signaling plates each having an arm pivotally mounted on the rod, said arms being adapted for engagement with the stop flange end to the bracket and deto limit the movement of the signaling plates to their normal positions within the casing, operating means connected to said arms, whereby the same may be rocked upon the rod to move the signaling plates to their exposed positions, and pivoted latch elements mounted upon the supporting brackets for engagement with the respective arms to re tain the signal plates in the latter positions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN B. LYNAM. Witnesses: I

S.- W. KAHN, R. L. BRADLEY.

commissioner of rltcntl, 

